Orphanage

We’ve gone to visit a local orphanage in Lutsk. The YWAM staff takes the teams there to play with the kids. Its a facility that houses children 3 and younger and most have some kind of mental disability. It’s really sad. Most of the kids in this place are not eligible for adoption. Ukraine has a law that if you’re parents are still alive and come visit or even call you a couple of times a year you cannot be adopted. Once these kids turn 4 they will be sent to different orphanages throughout Ukraine. 

I’ve never been to an orphanage and I didn’t think I had expectations or anything, but I did. I was surprised when I got there with the location. It was a nondescript building. Outside there was a play area with grass, two bright painted gazebos, many colorful benches throughout, some slides and sea-saws. It was picturesque, but the feeling of the place was not. It looked normal, almost friendly, yet there was something missing. There was no sense of happiness or joy. 

The first time I went we played with the kids around three years old. I took care of a little boy called Maxim. He was so shy and didn’t want to play with other kids or adults. I tried to engage him in playing with me but he didnt want to. He was soo independent and self-sufficient for his age. It kind of broke my heart. This was an acquired ability that children that young shouldn’t have to have. It was like his face and body language screamed, “nobody cares about what I want, so I’m gonna take care of me” 

Sadly he got in trouble by the women incharge for doing something with his truck. The little girl I watched until we had to leave seemed to have down syndrome. She would go through fits of love and joy and fits of sadness and tears that included screaming for all she was worth. She’s very adventurous and we ended up in the grassy area. She gave me a flower and it made my eyes tear up. I put it in my hair and her glee was contagious. She quickly got more and by the end of it she had 6 flowers behind her ears and one in her dress. 

As I stared into her pretty blue eyes, all I saw was beauty. So I looked at her and just spoke life over her. I told her how precious she was, how beautiful, that she was God’s favorite, his beloved and that God loves her. She looked at me and said thanks. Now I dont know if she was speaking Ukranianian gibberish (her speech isn’t all the way there) or English, but she stared into my eyes and somehow I know she understood me.

When we had to leave, I picked her up an she held on so tightly. When she realized I was going to have to leave she started wailing. Love and affection its what all kids need. Its not a want or desire for them, its a need. 

For these kids I would stay in Ukraine. For this precious little lives so young and so tired I would give the world for.